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Ruined Temple
The Ruined Temple is nestled at the base of the long mountain range seen at the southern horizon of Sundry. Its appearance is drawn not from a single world, but is spliced together from at least seven realities. The total count is currently unknown. Appearance The Temple is built almost entirely of white marble. Its architectural style is difficult to describe, both due to the nature of the Temple and its apparent extreme age. The wear of the main building is consistent with a millennium of exposure to the elements. Some elements are suggestive of more man-made destruction: collapsed pillars, fragments of masonry scattered across the floor, broken archways. Most of the debris and the decorative aspects of the Temple have been worn smooth by time. Underfoot, the ash of Sundry is replaced by a white grit, shifting to a fine, chalk-like dust in the central chambers. Entrance to the Temple is through a broad archway - one of the few left standing. Unlike most of the Temple, this arch is constructed of a crystalline material of similar colour to the surrounding marble. An emblem is embossed across the keystone of this arch; however, its details are obscured by a ragged gash across it. This entrance-way leads into a corridor that encircles the main courtyard. Branching off this corridor are thirteen rooms, ten of which are open to the elements (likely from collapse of their ceilings). Directly beyond the entrance-way is the door to the main courtyard of the Temple. This courtyard is filled with marble sculptures of various sizes, ranging from the height of a small child to a pair that stands several metres tall. Curiously, these sculptures do not show the same degree of wear the buildings of the Temple demonstrate, appearing as though they are approximately a century old. All facial features of these sculptures have been smashed, almost certainly deliberately. No fragments from the heads of these sculptures have been discovered. The walls of the courtyard and some of the minor rooms are decorated with friezes, of approximately three to four centuries in age. Once again, facial features are obscured, though these friezes are sometimes largely preserved as they display more abstract scenes. Occasionally, a free-standing frieze appears in the main courtyard. These are seldom present from visit to visit. Sculptures and friezes This is a list of sculptures and friezes of note in the courtyard: *A statue of male and female figures locked in embrace. Male has a moon symbol carved into its chest; female has a sun symbol. Approximately five metres tall. Appears to be a constant presence. *A feminine figure wearing a many-pleated dress. Missing both head and arms. Two metres tall. *A dragon, coiled around the wreck of some machine. Judging by proportions, the head and a third of the neck are missing. Three metres tall. *A barefoot man, dressed in tattered robes. Detail is preserved in his feet, with numerous scratches and bleeds sharply carved. One and a half metres tall. *An angelic figure with three pairs of wings. All but one of the wings are chipped. One hand holds the bow of an instrument. The other has been lost. Two metres tall. *A frieze depicting a burning city. The sky is filled with draconic figures. Each head has been chiselled off precisely. *A frieze depicting a lake, with a small village on the shore. There is the suggestion of a deep shadow in the water. *A frieze depicting a laboratory. There is a child-sized figure on the bench. *A frieze depicting a bird in flight, caught in a storm between the sky and the sea. Phenomena Unlike most of the areas in Sundry, the Ruined Temple does not appear to be stably generated from a single world, or even multiple worlds. Rather, it is theorised that the Temple takes on various aspects depending on those who have entered it. It is uncertain whether the entrance of an individual permanently changes the physical elements of the temple, or whether this is a perceptual abnormality triggered by each individual's experiences. As the Temple's elements have always included at least five different reality elements, it is also possible that the Embodiment draws inspiration from the minds of warriors in Sundry, regardless of whether they visit the Temple or not. Architectural elements, friezes and sculptures are interpreted by each individual as being from their world - most often places of worship they have visited themselves, but also from pictures they may have seen, descriptions from books, and even confabulations from religions they know about vaguely. An individual may perceive the Temple as being similar to multiple, mutually-exclusive places of worship that they know. When questioned, most are unable to express why they feel the Temple is familiar. They will point at an architectural element or sculpture and state a resemblance, despite much of the detail having been worn away by time, or the sculpture's face being smashed. The result is disorientation in most individuals. It is difficult to ascertain if the Temple has other cognitive effects. Visitors to it have complained of déjà vu, paranoia, "general creepiness", disorientation and short term memory loss. Nearly all report a sense of being judged and found unworthy. As a result, it is almost always abandoned. Three visitors have noted a whispering chorus, just on the edge of comprehension, that can be heard when one reaches the centre of the Temple. Of note is the fact that these three individuals had a high degree of religious faith. Astute observers have also noted that a soft wind stirs the dust in the Temple, but can never be felt by people inside it. Field notes The Temple first came to my notice when I saw - impossibly - the symbol of my patron deity. Though something had gouged through it, I was certain that what I saw was the scroll of Thaliak, the guardian of all scholars. Almost absentmindedly, I copied down the appearance of the symbol. I remember making my way through the ruins with mounting excitement. Every element seemed familiar - I thought I had finally found a stage that belonged to my own world, which would perhaps lead me home. It was only when I saw the drawing that I had made that I realised there was no resemblance between the mark and Thaliak's scroll. Since then, I have endeavoured to bring as many as I can convince to visit the Temple. Despite its lack of connection with my world, I find myself oddly enchanted by it. It is the place that best captures the utter melancholy of Sundry - its loneliness, the sense of a tragedy committed so long ago. Unsurprisingly, very few people are fond of visiting, and I am generally left to my own devices when researching. Even the faceless sculptures are becoming comforting in their familiarity. They remain my chief focus of research. With much cross-referencing in the Library, I have been able to identify the worlds that some of the statues and friezes originate from. Most of their real world equivalents are intact; therefore, it appears that the deliberate vandalism of their faces is a phenomenon created by Sundry itself. My current hypothesis is that the Temple conceptualises the conflict between people and gods in Sundry's past. The destruction could represent an outlet for the impotent anger of Sundry's mortal denizens, or is perhaps some kind of simulacrum created by The Embodiment - to remember the futility of this conflict? To remind us that there are no gods here but it? Sometimes I think it mocks us. — I. Kallinar Category: Locations Category: Luminous Society